Apocalyptica on Music Theory, Richard Wagner, the Infamous Ninth Symphony Curse + More

This part of our exclusive interview with Apocalyptica goes deep into the art form of music. The dudes of Apocalyptica are music theory and classical experts, so we delved into our brains to pull out some essential pieces from music's past.

Our first video from Apocalyptica's recent visit to our studio focused on the band's upcoming eighth studio album, Shadowmaker, and how new vocalist Franky Perez fits into the group. Now, in the video above, we speak with the boys about their music theory backgrounds and legendary composer Richard Wagner, whom Apocalyptica covered in their Wagner Reloaded album.

We also get into superstitious musicians who were terrified of dying after composing their ninth symphonies. The infamous ninth symphony curse truly began with Beethoven's death in 1827. The same fate befell masterful composers Franz Schubert, Antonín Dvořák and others who died following the completion of their ninth. Thus, it was thought that going past one's eighth symphony was an act of tempting fate.

You'll also hear Apocalyptica speak about Franky Perez's talent, which may signal the end of Apocalyptica's long tradition of collaborating with some of today's top artists. Apocalyptica also pick their favorite collaboration of the past, and the answer may surprise you.